NASA may have discovered signs of life on another planet, but scientists face major challenge

A rock sample that could show whether life ever existed beyond Earth is sealed inside NASA’s Perseverance rover on Mars, but its trip home is uncertain, according to CNN.

The sample, called Sapphire Canyon, was drilled in July 2024 from a rock named Cheyava Falls near Neretva Vallis in Jezero Crater. Its leopard-like spots resemble features formed on Earth by microbial activity. Adrian Broz, a Perseverance science team member at Purdue University, said it is the first find that qualifies as a “potential biosignature” on Mars.

Scientists say only labs on Earth can tell whether the spots are biological. “We’re never going to know for sure until we get those samples back,” said Briony Horgan, a Perseverance coinvestigator.

NASA, however, cancelled the Mars Sample Return program after spending about $2.5 billion, as projected costs ballooned to $11 billion. NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman says retrieval can lead to “the most significant scientific breakthrough in human history,” but no new plan has emerged.

Meanwhile, China aims to retrieve its own Mars samples in 2031 through its Tianwen-3 mission, set to launch in 2028. Lockheed Martin has proposed a mission costing under $3 billion to return 30 samples by 2037.